A detailed review of current research and ideas concerning both communication processes and family functioning is provided in this valuable contribution to the literature. Divided into three parts the book focuses on: communication of family members over time; the role of interaction in various family relationships; and the association between family structure and communication. Readers are provided with a set of questions that they can use to examine their own and other′s research and the chapters also illustrate a range of methodological and//or theoretical positions.

Explaining Family Interactions represents a unique collection that may stand alone or complement a traditional textbook. The contents reflect the ever-changing nature of families and the role communication plays in creating and maintaining family relationships. The collection captures the wide universe of family experience as represented in fine scholarship. --Kathleen M. Galvin, Northwestern University What relationship exists between family structure and communication? How do communication patterns between family members change over time? What role does culture play in family communication? In this groundbreaking volume, a stellar team of contributors answers these and other significant questions by offering a detailed review of current research and state-of-the-art ideas concerning both communication processes and family functioning. Contributors explore a rich tapestry of topics, including family conflict, courtship and dating relationships, postdivorce relations, communication and family culture, and dual-career families, to name but a few. And, while contributors each explore different aspects of family communication, all address similar questions and incorporate a range of methodological and/or theoretical positions. Explaining Family Interactions is an ideal resource for all scholars and students in the fields of interpersonal communication, family studies, relationships, family sociology, and social psychology.

PART ONE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY COMMUNICATION PATTERNS
Communication in Infancy - Marguerite Stevenson Barratt
The Socialization of Person-Centered Communication - Brant R Burleson, Jesse G Delia and James L Applegate
Parents′ Contributions to their Children′s Social-Cognitive and Communication Skills
Parent-Adolescent Relationships - Patricia Noller
Accounts and Demystification of Courtship - Catherine A Surra, Michelle L Batchelder and Debra K Hughes
PART TWO: FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS IN PROCESS
How Parenthood Affects Marriage - Ted L Huston and Anita L Vangelisti
Family Interaction during Problem Solving - Samuel Vuchinich and Jospeh Angelelli
Family Conflict, Divorce, and Children′s Adjustment - Susan Gano-Phillips and Frank D Fincham
Postdivorce Relations - Sandra Metts and William R Cupach
PART THREE: EXTENDING FAMILY BOUNDARIES
Communication in Three Types of Dual-Career Marriages - Lawrence B Rosenfeld, Gary L Bowen and Jack M Richman
Communication Patterns in Stepfamilies - Nancy A Burrell
Redefining Family Roles, Themes, and Conflict Styles
Communication, Gender, and Power - Sara Steen and Pepper Schwartz
Homosexual Couples as a Case Study
The Aging Family - Marie-Louise Mares
Communication and Family Culture - Alan L Sillars